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(NqModeL) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

A. B. KURTZ.

MECHANICAL TELEPHONE.

No. 298,479. 7 Patents" ay 13, 1884.

E a A llllllllill-i E I N. PETERS Phclolilhognzplwr, Washingiun. D. C,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. B. KURTZ.

MECHANICAL TELEPHONE.

No. 298,479; Patented May 13, 1884,

N PETERS. Phuxo-Limo ra mr, wuhingmn. n.c.

UNITED MATES Partner Cr mes.

A. BRINTON KURTZ, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TO FREEMAN C.LUDLOW, OF SAME PLACE.

MECHANICAL TELEPHONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,479, dated May 13,1884.

Application filed May 10, 1883. (No model.)

To wZZ whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, A. BRINTON KURTZ, of the city of Cincinnati, in thecounty of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Mechanical Telephones, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates that class of instruments known as mechanicaltelephones, and'the objects and advantages of my invention will beapparent from the drawings and the following description.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure lis a front elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section taken at the line 00 x ofFig. 1, showing the position of the parts when the instrument is in acondition to transmit a message. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation takenatthe same point as Fig. 3, but showing the position occupied by thevarious parts for ringing the bell of the instrument at the opposite endof the telephonic line. Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged views of parts of thebell-ringing mechanism.

A is the box or frame of the instrument, which is secured to a suitableback, as A.

To the back A, within the box and near its top, is secured one edge of apiece, B, extending nearly to the front of the box A, and beingpreferably a slight distance below its top, for the purposes hereinaftermentioned, and to the front edge of this pieceB is secured one end ofthe diaphragm C. This diaphragm extends nearly to the bottom of the boxor frame and from side to side, not, however, coming quite in contactwith the sides of the box or frame, so that the diaphragm is everywhereout of contact with the box or frame, and is in contact with piece Balone, the lower end of the diaphragm being thus free to vibrate. Thefront surface of the diaphragm C is slightly removed from the front ofthe box, leaving a chamber, a, between the diaphragm and the box.Opposite the free end of the diaphragm is the speaking orifice or tube1), which passes through the front of the box. The wire C is suitablyconnected to the free end of the diaphragm, and when so connected anyvibrations imparted to the diaphragm by a person talking in front of theopening b will be imparted to the wire C. The diaphragm being free atall points, excepting at one edge, is much more susceptible tovibrations than a diaphragm supported around its entire periphery, (asis the casein the telephonesheretofore constructed,) and my diaphragmwill receive and transmit a very clear and distinct sound. The amount ofvibration permitted to the diaphragm C will be still more increased whenthe piece Bis supported substantially as follows: The piece B ispreferably free, except at its back edge, which is secured to the backA, and thus allows a very free vibration of the diaphragm.

It is desirable to provide means for ringing a bell at either end of theline, by which the person at one end can call the attention of theperson at the other end of the line, and for this purpose I employsuitable mechanism, a preferred form of such mechanism being shown inthe drawings, and which is as follows: A lever, D, is hinged or pivotedto the under side of the piece B, the free end of which lever passesthrough an opening, a, in the bottom of the box, and is provided with asuitable handle, D, by which the free end of the lever may be movedforward or backward. The preferable method of pivoting the lever D tothe piece B is by forming a T-head, (l, on the end of the said lever,which head engages with staples d, driven into the piece B at eitherside of the lever. This construction allows a perfect freedom of motionof the free end of the lever. The wire C is to be connected to thediaphragm, preferably by a connection whereby the wire can be readilyconnected to and disconnected from the diaphragm at will. A desirableform of connection is as follows: The wire 0 is connected to thediaphragm by means of a hook, E, and an eye, E, the latter being securedto the diaphragm, the hook being so shaped that it may be readilydisconnected from the eye.

A desirable means for enabling the hook E to be'connected to or to bedisengaged from the eye E is as follows: The rear end of the hook towhich the wire C is connected is provided with a cross-bar, 0, extendinglaterally. The rear face of this crossbar is preferably flat, as shownin Figs. 3 and 4.. In the front face of the lever Dis formed arecess,e,which recess is large enough to receive the cross-bar e of the hookand allow a slight rocking of the bar therein, no longitudinal motion ofthe bar being permitted. The bottom of this re cess is made flat, sothat when the bar r: is in the recess, its flat face resting against thebot tom of the recess, thehook E will be retained at the desired angleto the lever l). The wire G passes through an opening, 0", formed in thelever 1.). Behind the lever D is placed a spring, F, either spiral, asshown, or of any other desired form, having a tendency to press the freeend of the lever forward toward the diaphragm. A rod or shaft, F, passestransversely through the box in front of the lever l), one end of saidshaft being provided with a crauk,f, having ahandle,j", ofsuitableweight. At the point on the shaft F which is opposite the lever l) isformed a bend or crank, G, which, when the shaft is turned, comes incontact with the front face of the lever, and this crank G, inconnection with the spring F, causes the lever D to more back and forthwhen the shaft F is turned. The front face of the lever l) at the pointagainst which the crank G strikes is preferably slightly concave, asshown. To the side of the box A which is opposite the erankf areconnected the bells ll, and to that end of the shaft F which is at thisside of the box is pivoted the clapperrod 11, to the end of which isconnected ahead. or hammer, h, adapted to strike against the bells ll.The connection between the shaft F and the clapper-rod 1-1 is made by aknifcblade joint, 71 whiehjoint enables the clapperrod H to be placed atright angles to the shaft, as shown in Fig. 5, or straightened out, sothat it will lie in a line with said shaft, 2 indicated by dotted linesin said figure. \Vhen the cl apper-rod H is turned up at right angles tothe shaft F, the hammer It lies between the bells ll, as shown in Fig.2.

As above described, the operation of my invention is as follows: Supposethe telephone to be at rcst-that is, in the condition in which it willbe when no message is being transmittedthe various parts will then be inthe position shown in Figs. 2 and 1. The hook E will be disengaged fromthe eye E, and the bar 0 resting in the recess 0 in the lever D, and thetension of the wire 0 is then received by the lever l), which will thusbe drawn toward the back A and rest against the spring F, which forms acushion. \V hen the lever l) is in this position, the weighted handle fof the crank f hangs in the position indicated by.

dotted lines in Fig. .1-, and this turns the shalt so that the crank Gwill lie in contact with the lever l). The clapp errod II being nowturned up at right angles to the shalt F, the hammer h lies between thebells 11, as shown in Fig. 2. \Vhen it is desired to call the person atthe opposite end of the line, the person dosiring to make the call firstturns the clapperrod 11 down, so that it will be disengaged from thebells, and then turns the crankff, and the crank G- in the center of theshaft, by

striking against the lever l) as the shaft F is turned, moves thislever, which causes the wire 0 to reciprocate, and these reciprocationsare transmitted to the lever l) of the instrument at the opposite end ofthe line, and the movement of this lever, by acting on the crank G ofthe shaft F, moves this shaft, which in turn moves the clapper-rod Illand hammer h, and the hammer is thus caused to strike the bells ll. Assoon as the person making the call has turned the crank of hisinstrument, he again turns the clapper-rod up, and the per son answeringthe call turns the clapper-rod of his instrument down, and answers thecall in the same manner that the call was made. The party at each end ofthe line now takes hold of thehandle ])of the lever D and moves itforward, which brings the end of the hook E in contact with the eye E,and the end of the hook rises over the eye and drops into it, after themanner of a latch. W'hen the hook has thus been engaged with the eye,the operator releases his hold on the handle 1), and the lover I) thendrops away from the crossbar a, and occupies the position shown in Fig.3, and the wire is now connected to the diaphragni, and any vibrationsof the diaphragm will be transmitted to the wire. When the parties havefinished talking,the-handle l) is again brought forward until thetension of the wire is taken up by the lover I), and the hook E islifted and disengaged from the eye E, when the various parts will againassume the position shown in Figs. 2 and i. In the present instance, thehook is lifted or disengaged by the thumb or finger of the hand of theoperator which is grasping the handle 1).

It will be observed that my invention enables the diaphragm to berelieved of the strain of the transmitting-wire (1, except when thetelephone is in use, and that when the diaphragm is connected to saidwire the operator has both of his hands free for writing down themessage or for other proper work. If for any reason it becomes desirableto change the call-signal, that part of the apparatus shown whichrelates to the ringing of the bell will bealtcrcd,or altogetherdispensed with, according to the mode of call adopted.

The diaphragm C may be many-sided, or oval, or circular, when preferred,instead of four-sided, as shown. As suggested in the opening of myspecification, the box A may, when desired, be a frame-work. I prefer,however, to usea box substantiallyas shown.

The principal. features of my invention are, first, the diaphragmattached and located substantially as before set forth; second, themeans for connecting the diaphragm to the transmittingwire and fordisconnecting the diaphragm therefrom third, the mode or means formaking the call-signal.

XVhile the several features of my invention are preferably usedtogether, one or more may be employed without the remainder, and so faras applicable one or more of said features may be employed in connectionwith tele IIO phonic devices other than that herein particularlyspecified.

Having thus described my invention and its mode of operation, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a telephone, a diaphragm connected at or near one portion only ofits edge to a sup- -port, as B, the remaining portion being free tovibrate, and a transmitting-wire adapted to be connected to saiddiaphragm at some point between its free edge and its point ofconnection, and to be disconnected therefrom at will, substantially asand for the purposes specified.

2. The diaphragm 0, connected substantially as described, and providedwith an eye or staple, E, in combination with the wire 0, connected to ahook, E, said hook having a cross-bar, e, and a lever, D, hinged orpivoted at its upper end, said lever being adapted to engage with thecross-bar e, by which the hook E may be drawn forward to engage the eyeE, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The lever D, pivoted at its upper end, and provided with a cup orrecess, 6, in combination with the wire 0, passing through said lever,and connected to a cross-bar, e, in front of the lever, said cross-barbeing adapted to rest in the cup or recess 0, and having the hook E,adapted to engage the eye of a diaphragm, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

a. The lever D, pivoted at its upper end,

and suitably connected near its lower end to the wire 0, in combinationwith the shaft F, passing through the box A from side to side, andprovided with a crank, G, adapted to engage the lever D, said shaftbeing provided with a suitable crank for causing it to rotate, and aspring, F, placed behind the lever, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

5. The lever D, pivoted at its upper end, and connected near its lowerend to the wire 0, in combination with the shaft F, having a crank orbend, G, to engage with said lever, one end of said shaft being providedwith a crank,f, having a handle, f, and the other end being providedwith a clapper-rod and hammer for ringing the bell, substantially as andfor the purposes specified.

6. The shaft F, being provided at one end with a crank, ff, and at theother end with a clapper-rod, H, having a hammer, h, the clap- 5 5per-rod being connected to the shaft F by a knife-blade joint, h, topermit said rod to be turned at right angles to the shaft, or in a linetherewith, in combination with the bells H, substantially as and for thepurposes specified. 6c

7. In combination with a diaphragm suitably supported and provided withan eye or staple, E, the transmitting -wire provided with hook E, andmechanism for causing the hook to engage with said eye, substantially as65 and for the purposes specified.

A. BRINTON KURTZ.

Attest:

E. R. HILL, J. WM. STREHLI.

